C142. Zhou Gongdan Returns.

C142. Zhou Gongdan Returns.

Yuanli and the grain allocation officers had given numerous orders and tried every possible way to safely bring Zhou Gongdan back to Youzhou.

For this day to return, the grain allocation officers had been preparing for many years. Upon learning that Jia Qing, along with his subordinates and family, would also be going to Youzhou, the provisions officers quickly adjusted their plans and made corresponding preparations.

The next day, Jia Qing's family members were secretly taken out of Ye County. On the third day, Jia Qing's subordinates openly led an attack on the prison, rescued Jia Qing, and swiftly fled Jizhou.

With the covert assistance of the Grain Allocation officers, as soon as Jia Qing was rescued, he led them ahead towards Youzhou.

Zhou Gongdan did not reveal who his lord was to Jia Qing, and Jia Qing did not ask, but both understood each other implicitly.

A renowned scholar, known for less than two months, with an advisor who had served two lords... Zhou Gongdan was on the verge of telling Jia Qing the answer, his illustrious master was none other than Yuanli, the governor of Youzhou and Bingzhou.

Yuan Li, Lord Yuan Lejun.

Jia Qing had considered many possibilities, including Chu Hechao, but never expected Yuan Li to be the one behind it all.

Was Yuan Li's ambition really this great?

Did he wield such strong influence in Youzhou and Bingzhou?

Jia Qing's emotions were complicated. He didn't know what kind of person Yuan Li was, nor did he know what his own future held. But no matter what, he had come this far and could only continue. He could only place his hopes on Yuan Li, hoping that Yuan Li would be as reliable as Zhou Gongdan had described.

*

Ye County, Jizhou.

When Wu Shanshi discovered that Jia Qing had escaped with soldiers on his own, he was nearly enraged.

While there were many military leaders who had privately escaped in this world, Wu Shanshi never thought Jia Qing would be one of them. Jia Qing's loyalty made him overlook people's desire for survival, and even in his negligence, he did not order the confinement of Jia Qing's subordinates.

Burning with anger at the betrayal, Wu Shanshi slammed the table with a grim face, "Send men to pursue him! Quickly! If you can't catch him, you all will be held accountable!"

His subordinates shivered and immediately led troops to chase after Jia Qing.

The response from Jizhou was quick, but the hastily assembled troops could not compare to the years of preparation by the Grain Allocation officers. After half a month had passed, Wu Shanshi had nothing to show for his efforts.

Wu Shanshi cursed loudly every day, even suspecting the loyalty of his subordinates. Especially the military leaders, many of them were on edge and some even entertained thoughts of desertion.

While Wu Shanshi's attention was diverted by Jia Qing, no one noticed the ailing Zhou Gongdan quietly "pass away."

In mid-March, as everything started to come back to life, and the warmth of spring blossomed.

On the auspicious occasion of Yuan Li's birthday on the thirteenth, he was dragged out of bed early by Chu Hechao to eat a bowl of longevity noodles. Yuan Li, eager to welcome Jia Qing and Zhou Gongdan, was all set until Chu Hechao firmly insisted, "Finish your noodles first."

"Oh," Yuan Li obediently replied, slowly slurping the noodles from one end to the other, muttering, "Who's the cook today? The noodles taste quite delicious."

Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow, teasingly, "Your husband cooked them."

Yuan Li gave him a thumbs-up.

The noodles were scalding hot, hard to bite off, and troublesome to eat, but Yuan Li enjoyed them happily and attentively.

Chu Hechao wasn't adept at making noodles, and although the longevity noodles tasted good, some parts were thin and fragile, causing Yuan Li to eat cautiously, fearing they might snap. Chunks of noodles were sticky and hard to chew.

With noodle juice staining their lips, Yuan Li's lips a deep red, Chu Hechao felt a tickle in his throat. Without a second thought, he picked up the other end of the noodle and ate alongside Yuan Li.

The noodle was quickly gone, devoured where their lips met. Yuan Li bit off the noodle, his expression sour as he grumbled, "That was mine."

"I'll make it for you later tonight," Chu Hechao, feeling unsatisfied, remarked, "Let's just say, the taste was really good."

"Very tasty," Yuan Li nodded, "It would be even better with some pickled vegetables."

Chu Hechao chuckled, "Who eats pickled vegetables? I'll treat you to a feast tonight."

Yuan Li obediently agreed, "Okay."

Impulsively, Chu Hechao pinched Yuan Li's cheek.

After their meal, they went to the city gate to welcome the arrival of the heroes.

Zhou Gongdan and his group could already see the gates of Ji County from afar.

Seated inside the carriage, Zhou Gongdan gazed at the gates he had not seen in years and the crowd waiting to welcome them. Unbeknownst to him, tears began to well up in his eyes.

He had finally returned to Youzhou.

Zhou Gongdan's heart swirled with complex emotions, keeping his eyes fixed on the gates. Excitement, longing, melancholy, joy... a sense of peace he hadn't experienced in years rose within him, replacing weariness with happiness.

The closer they got to the city, the faster Zhou Gongdan's heart raced, wishing he had wings like a bird to fly to the gates in an instant.

Behind his carriage, Jia Qing and his group observed quietly, their expressions reserved and contemplative.

The closer they got to Youzhou, the more they saw, the more they marveled. Along the way, they encountered many hardships and obstacles, and witnessed the plight of displaced refugees.

Only by witnessing the chaos outside could they truly appreciate the precious stability and peace of Youzhou.

Jia Qing looked around and understood why the fleeing refugees were all heading towards Youzhou.

The early spring weather was still chilly, but the people, though wearing patched clothes, were dressed warmly. Their shoes were not simple grass shoes but unfamiliar cotton shoes.

Even the children had clothes to wear and were out playing joyfully in this weather, their healthy complexion reflecting their vigor.

Seeing these children, it was evident they were not cold or hungry. In such chaotic times, Jia Qing almost doubted his own eyes.

Inevitably, Jia Qing felt a sense of respect for Yuan Li in his heart.

"My Lord!"

Ahead, Zhou Gongdan's excited voice interrupted Jia Qing's thoughts. Looking up, Jia Qing saw the usually calm Zhou Gongdan jump out of the carriage eagerly, rushing to a young man with boundless joy.

Yuan Li's appearance had changed significantly compared to five years ago. He had matured, his features more refined and his posture more upright.

The youthful aura had faded, replaced by a gentle smile and bright eyes that exuded joy and trust. Yuan Li had matured, exuding a sense of ease and peace.

Seeing his long-lost strategist, Yuan Li's emotions surged. He grasped Zhou Gongdan's hands, taking a deep breath with eyes slightly moist, "Wenning, you have finally returned."

He glanced at Zhou Gongdan, feeling relieved, "You've worked hard these past years."

"Not at all, where's the hardship in what I've done?" Zhou Gongdan replied fervently.

Smiling, he took a few steps back, raised his hands solemnly, and bowed to Yuan Li, "After five years away, Gongdan have returned, hopefully not disappointing the Lord's expectations!"

Yuan Li smiled, "Good!"

Zhou Gongdan straightened up slowly, glanced around, and then bowed to Chu Hechao.

Chu Hechao nodded slightly, while Liu Jixin looked at him with admiration, saying, "It's been a long time, brother Wenning."

Zhou Gongdan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Indeed, Brother Changyue, it has been a long time since we last met."

Guo Mao bowed to Zhou Gongdan, with a smile on his face, "I am Guo Mao, with the courtesy name Pingzhi. I have heard many stories about Brother Zhou, and now that I see you in person, your reputation is well-deserved, and I greatly admire you."

"Brother Pingzhi, there is no need to be so polite," Zhou Gongdan laughed heartily and said, "I have also heard about you from Lord, although we have not met before, I admire your intelligence. I heard that you are skilled in playing chess, we must have a good match in the future."

They chatted and laughed, and Zhou Gongdan had not experienced such a relaxed atmosphere in a long time.

Jia Qing also watched Zhou Gongdan and the others from behind, seeing Zhou Gongdan laughing so freely for the first time. Just by seeing Zhou Gongdan at this moment, one could see how fake and insincere he was in Jizhou.

He wondered, what kind of ability does Yuan Li possess to make these strategists willingly come to such an extent?

Yuan Li, who had been smiling on the side, waited until his subordinates had finished greeting each other before asking, "I heard you brought me an unexpected surprise this time?"

Zhou Gongdan then remembered Jia Qing and his group following behind, he patted his head helplessly, and led Yuan Li towards Jia Qing, "My Lord, have you heard of Jia Qing?"

Yuan Li nodded slightly, "I have heard of him."

Seeing Yuan Li approaching, Jia Qing got off his horse ahead of time, bowed respectfully, and hesitantly said, "Governor Yuan."

"Mr. Jia," Yuanli said with a smile as he helped him up, "I have heard of your reputation before, I did not expect you to come to Youzhou. What difficulties have you encountered? If there is anything I can do, I will do my best to help."

Jia Qing hesitated for a moment before saying, "I want to bring my subordinates and family to seek refuge with the Governor Yuan."

Yuan Li already knew about this, so he was not surprised. He just patted Jia Qing on the shoulder with a smile and warmly said, "With such talents like Mr. Jia coming to Youzhou, it is my good fortune. Please come into the city!"

On the way, Yuan Li asked about the things that happened to Jia Qing and Zhou Gongdan along the way, whether they encountered any danger or had any interesting events, but he did not ask Jia Qing about anything related to Jizhou and Wu Shanshi.

His attitude was gentle and friendly, not like a monarch, but more like a long-lost friend. However, his occasional insights and words were profound and thought-provoking, making people unable to help but ponder and immerse themselves in his words.

Jia Qing did not speak much, he was observing in secret, carefully noting the expressions of Yuan Li's subordinates.

Like Zhou Gongdan said, Yuan Li's subordinates genuinely admired and were loyal to him. They were closely united around Yuan Li, without any animosity or intrigue between them. This kind of atmosphere made Jia Qing develop a lot of goodwill towards them.

Not only did he like it, but his subordinates also greatly enjoyed it.

At the banquet, Zhou Gongdan, Liu Jixin, and Guo Mao specifically came to have drinks with Jia Qing. Jia Qing did not speak much, but he couldn't resist the persuasive tactics of these three strategists, halfway through the drinks, most of the awkwardness between them had disappeared.

Jia Qing turned to see his subordinates drinking and having fun with Yang Zhongfa, Wang Er, and others, they were clearly having a better time than in Jizhou.

After watching for a while, the heaviness in Jia Qing's heart seemed to vanish, he smiled, feeling suddenly relieved.